If one phrase could describe this piece, it would be short, sweet, and to the point. Obviously that is what an overture is supposed to do. This overture boldly packed a punch. There was never a dull moment in the music or the instrumentation. Beethoven started the performance followed by Grieg and Korngold. Both pieces by the composers made you sit at the edge of your seat, much like Beethoven. However, none can measure up to Beethoven’s quality. Needless to say, Grieg and Korngold had some pretty big shoes to fill.
Beethoven was crude and bombastic by nature. He carried around a lot of heavy emotional baggage his whole life. He was miserable and angry most of the time. Despite his hardships, he was very successful and continued to press on. Overture Nr. 3 has a great sense of moving forward and was encouraging to listen to. When the orchestra moved to the music and rose to a forte dynamic level, a spicy kick was added to the sound. Piano dynamics had the same feel, but deeper and darker.
The sound of a trumpet rang loud and triumphantly from back stage. An E flat flute was added to the mix, and the C flute and bassoon had a pleasant conversation. The string sections built a strong foundation of sound while the brass entered, followed by the woodwinds. An overture that was short, sweet, and to the point was an appropriate choice for an epic concert. Edvard Grieg and Erich Wolfgang Korngold followed, but still could not measure up to Beethoven’s quality.
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